However Unlikely
by Fated Legacies
Summary: What if Albus wasn't the only one who was helping Shanoa? A mysterious man by the name of Caelus whom is quite amiable and helpful towards her who seemingly radiates barely restrained power. When asked if he could defeat Dracula, he replies thus; "I could, if there wasn't so much red tape preventing me from doing so myself. Thus you are a good choice." An OC x Shanoa story.


**A** **AN: Hello and welcome to my new story. Some of you may have known me for a short time as Caelus Artorias. No, I was not hacked. The format, spacing, indentation, font size, etc., are rather crap because I can't hack up the thirty dollars Microsoft wants me to for Word at the moment...Anyways, BACKSTORY! Castlevania has always had a special place in my heart since I was a boy. See, my father had -and still does have- a friend had his son living with him at the time as he was in high school -I think... Bite me, its been freaking YEARS!-. He was one of the cool guys in my kiddie little mind. He had all these cool things that I hadn't heard about sans his PS1.**

 **Anime, video games, some kickin' beast figurines, and I even think he had some manga and some pretty awesome tankobon hidden in his room too. One day while my dad and his friend were at his friend's house hanging out as he was wont to do back then, I walked into the little living room to notice the man's son -yes my people shall go unnamed so as to protect them and myself, yadda yadda, blah blah- playing the PS1. Mkay, nothing special there. Except what was on the screen. Instantly, I'm taken with the brickwork, the arches, the windows, the music, the sprite design and how fresh the 2D art style to my little child brain taking in Inuyasha every Saturday night on Adult Swim was when I was used to the mid-years of the early PS2 era!**

 **I instantly asked what he was playing as I plopped heavily down beside his lanky frame on the uncomfortable wooden floor -had a bit of a funny smell now that I'm trying to remember every little detail- as he was about to fight the boss.**

 **Now, I know you all will groan, knowing how overdone and overhyped it is. So get it out of the way now. You good now? Okay. Yes, it was Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, -also known as Devil's Castle Dracula X: Nocturne in the Moonlight in Japan- released in Japan in March 1997 and the US in October of that year. I was born shortly before that time, so obviously it was quite some years later when I saw and heard of the game for the first time ever. He then panic-asked me what vampires were weak to and my mind rushed to answer as I was a child well-interested in the strange and unknown, especially monsters and history. Crosses, holy water, sunlight, wooden stakes to the heart, sunlight, fire, running water, not being able to enter a home without being invited in first, not sleeping on a bed of the soil of their homeland in a coffin or enclosed space, scripture.**

 **You know, the norm of what young children should know about as they watch Inuyasha, Devilman Amon, AKIRA, Genocyber, Gundam, and FLCL and make their freaking brain melt from 2000's (and pre-2000's) AWESOME! So I immediately pop off, "Crosses man." I did not know at the time that he would be facing the last boss of the game as he explained you fight all sorts of monsters like vampires in the game... Dracula, the father of the character we -firstly- play as in Symphony of the Night, Adrian Fahrenheits Tepes. *kabwoooooosh* went my kiddie mind, as the prospect of fighting Dracula himself is... well...**

 **Fucking. Ludicrous.**

 **The mere thought that someone would stand a chance at facing -as many commonly claim- The Origin, The OG, the MacDaddy Pimp of Alllllllllll Vampires without simply being stared instantly into a fucking pile of ash or have your throat slit or torn out without having the chance to blink let alone speak as he feasted on your blood was heresy in my mind. You'd have to be some sort of Fuckmothering HERO with reflexes on par with Spiderman mixed with the huge ass balls of Wolverine that regularly tames sharks by punching them with your super manly chinfist or something supernatural yourself to do something like that! Enter Alucard with his sharp pointy -and some facecrushing thingies- death bringers of death and the history of the Belmont clan and the Super Magical Killing MacGuffin, the Vampire Killer whip... which in those days and before Symphony of the Night was a... flail? Eh? How is a flail a whip...? I mean yeah, the chain CAN be used to strike/ensnare others with but...*grumblemumbleumblegrumble***

 **Any how, I've only played three -yes three, I still feel a little bit empty about that- of the Castlevania series. Well, one if you consider quality really. It was not until a few years after my first encounter with Castlevania that I stumbled across it at the Daytona Flea Market. Lament of Innocence. I still shiver at the way the lines were delivered like giant handfuls of shit scooped out of a rusty bucket filled with gaping holes and flung intermittently at the microphone that was covered in spots of rice paper with just as many holes in it. NOT TO MENTION LEON'S FUCKING HAIR- Moving on...**

 **Years later, enter Dracula X Chronicles for the PSP in 2007 which had Symphony of the Night -reduxed- included if you got a certain collectible if I remember rightly. Yup. You read me right. No Dawn/Aria of Sorrow. No Order of Eccleia. No Curse of Darkness, Not even the kinda crappy Lords of Shadow or its sequel! Well actually I think I have that shitty sized one from the Xbox Live Arcade sitting somewhere in my 360's hard drive BUT I DIGRESS! My Castlevania gaming experience is not vast, but I do love it even with its faults- I'M LOOKING AT YOU!**

 **Ahem. There is a reason why I'm doing this. A Youtuber whom I am subscribed to is doing a playthrouh of the original PS2 version of Symphony of the Night on an emulator. Yes, original cringy dialogue and all... I went, 'Wow! He's actually pretty decent! Wait... He's explaining how to do the Soul Steal Spell!? *gasp!* I have to try this myself yo see if I can FINALLY pull this off!' Suffice to say, my frigid, dead, nooby fingers were and are still not dexterous nor nimble enough to belt out that spell. I'd have more luck rolling my face around on my keyboard and typing out the known entirety -and then some- of Pi with my bleeding face as I down my craft beer than being able to do that sequence. Yes, I don't like fighter games, no its not hate, I just don't like 'em. Anyways, I got to thinking, 'I should show Castlevania some love, but how?'**

 **And lo, did Igarashi-san, The God of Castlevania, shine his mercy upon me, for in the late hours of the night did a moonbeam strike out from my blinds and shine upon my rough drafts I had set to the side of my cluttered, aging desk. And so it was. And I felt Him smile, and all was right with the world for all of 2.5 glorious seconds. And then reality set in again as I got a notification on my student loans again and an update on Spacehulk: Deathwing. Ah well, it was nice while it lasted. This chapter is not yet done, I want AT LEAST a 10k word count a chapter, and will take some time to get chapters out. This is mostly here as I update it when inspiriation strikes me and you all have something to read. I also do not yet have a beta, so anyone wanting the position is free to try via PM I guess. Yeah... Enjoy Reading I guess! Oh, and do please leave a Review, if it so pleases you. How can I improve if I don't know what I am doing wrong?**

 **Obligatory Disclaimer: I do not own the rights etc. of or to Castlevania, or series I make references to. The only thing that I can safely say IS mine is this story and the original character. ONWARD!**

As Shanoa strode past Nikolai, she felt something, if only barely. It was near the arch leading out towards the nearby forest, and it was not small by any manner of imagination. It was like- "'Finally realizing that something was so large, you could not comprehend until that moment or it revealed itself?'" There. A rather tall and broad shouldered man who dressed in a curious looking set of white clothes dabbed with black and gold with a large brimmed hat looking similarly shadowing a good portion of his face leaning against the arch with his arms crossed, as if waiting. Shanoa nearly mistook him for a man of the cloth, they were so curious and well-made, not to mention his voice. Like a cool and refreshing stream, gently flowing over rocks "Yeah, I was the same once, when I was a little boy. Just took it upon myself to stare upon that vast expanse one night and wondered, 'What if those stars are not merely lights in the sky, but entire worlds just like ours? What if humans are naught but one part that makes a whole, and we are too small to realize such thoughts in full?' ...What of you, Shanoa?"

Said woman stared blankly in response, unsure of what to say in the face of such profundity. Except for one thing. "Did I know you once?" Like a doll, empty, toneless, emotionless, but beautiful nonetheless. The mysterious man merely tilted his head in response and made no motion to move aside from that. "No, you did not. For that matter, neither do Albus or Barlowe. At least not in the sense you're probably thinking of." It was after he finished his statement he moved, fluid and graceful.

Shanoa could not help but compare his movement to that of a cat or large predator, sure of its steps with one motion flowing into the next seamlessly. She could also appreciate his height for what it truly was, now that he was standing. Standing a full foot over her own ponderous frame, he was large indeed. She also noticed he was not slouching like so many others. Ready for anything that anyone or anything may try against him, it seemed. Yet open to her in some fashion. Shanoa could make out what seemed to be a small smile upon his lips as if he was greeting her.

"And greet you shall. My name is Caelus. No, I am not a mind reader. But I am an empath who can open and close that sense at will. I simply read your stance, unsure and guarded as it was. I come to offer aid, if you should allow it." She gave him a searching look then. "Are you from Ecclesia?" He took not a moment to reply. "Not at all Shanoa. I am of a concerned party that does not wish for the resurrection of this world's Dracula." Shanoa gave Caelus a sharp look then. "How did you know of my mission? Only Barlowe and that Albus person know of it." Caelus was quick in response. "What of Nikolai? You saved him from watching the world pass him by. No doubt the other villagers will know of your mission too, if not to make things easier, then to make sure they do not side with Chaos. Besides, anyone with a hint of magic at their calling or in their blood can feel it in the air. Tainted, but not yet fully sullied. The key words here being 'not yet.'"

Shanoa searched him yet again. He did falter, even in his slight smile. Either the man was so sure of his deceit or he was telling no lies. Almost imperceptibly she shifted back to a more neutral stance. The very least she could do was to simply hear him out. "Speak then. If I were to accept, what would be the aid you would provide?" Caelus held his arms out to the side a slight bit from his sides and his smile widened a fraction. "Any aid that you should require of me. Reconnaissance, battle, knowledge, arms, Magics, healing. But mostly the benefit of having someone else doing something that you cannot at the moment." Shanoa's response was swift, as if she knew her answer already. "You would keep your word?"

He chuckled lowly then, the sound menacing yet not so, not to her; or at the very least, towards her in hostility. Belike, it was a warning. "My dear, many things people can and have called me I have simply brushed aside or accepted." She just noticed he was frowning now. Odd, Shanoa could not help the niggling thought that such a frown did not suit him for some reason. "But Oathbreaker, Liar, and Cheater are none that I have suffered without the the person suffering for such falsity. When I give my word, it is as ironclad an oath as if written in blood upon parchment. I do not use loopholes, threats, or riddles, for I have no need of them. Worry not, I have no desire to see you or any who have not sided with Chaos come to any harm, Shanoa." He was smiling again. "Are you a Demon of sort?" Caelus shook his head. "If you are as powerful as I sense you are, why not stop Albus yourself?" His frown returned, except in even more force, she observed. As if he sucked on a particularly unripe lemon or smelled something most foul.

"That... is where I cannot interfere. I cannot fight such battles for you my dear. If I could, I would have stopped the return of this world's Dracula far before now. By the Moon, he wouldn't even be an issue if I had my way." Shanoa's neutral expression remained, but with something in her eyes akin to sharpness, as much as an emotionally dead husk could produce that is. "I am supposed to believe that you can defeat Dracula on your own?" His frown was less so now, but still present. "I could if certain variables were to happen. But as it is, I cannot as I am. The forces of this world limited me so until such events have a greater chance of ocurring. 'Tis not an issue, just an annoyance."

She pondered over every part of his reply. "You said 'the forces of this world have limited you', what do you mean? Since you claim to not be a Demon, could you instead be an Angel?" Caelus laughed loudly and heartily at that. "My dear, if I were an Angel, you'd be naught but dust for speaking to me in the blunt and rude manner that you have been. So many are on such a high horse, that I think if they were their egos were any larger they'd reach past the clouds and quite possibly the stars themselves. Of course, not all angels are like that..."

Shanoa went over their conversation thus far, examining every piece said between the two of them. She could not find fault. "I accept." Caelus grinned widely and stepped closer to her, taking her small hands into his surprisingly firm and gentle ones catching Shanoa off guard. She was aware that her expressions, mannerisms, and monotone voice made others uncomfortable, yet she could not bring herself to care. Having no emotions tends to do that. She looked at Caelus' hands to notice they were the scarred hands of a warrior, if not a dogged survivor and contender of life, yet still holding -not squeezing- her hands.

"You won't regret it! Here, I know you are used to your Glyphs, but this is not a weapon to be used lightly since it can only be used once." With that Caelus stepped back a bit, and a finely made large dagger made its way out of his sleeve and into his hand. To where he presented its pommel towards her as was customary when presenting a weapon. "What is it?" Shanoa looked at the dagger curiously, as it seemed to be made of silver so pure it seemed white, and etched all over it were symbols she both had and had not seen before seemingly pulsing and shifting before her eyes.

"That is a White Key, Shanoa. It is an Alchemical and Magical construct whose sole existence is to outright obliterate the physical concept of whatever is stabbed with it easily for one-hundred years... if used by an average user of Magic. If you were to use it with how much you understand of your Glyphs, it would easily make that one-hundred year mark on say... a fish."

A rather pregnant silence filled the air. "An... Evil fish?" Shanoa questioned rather hesitantly as she put away the White Key. Even as emotionally dead as she was, a regular fish would be embarrassing for her, even in this state. "Ah, with how little you understand of yourself and your Magic unique to you at this moment... It would have to have very little agency over itself... like a fish or an animated dead. Nothing with higher brain functions beyond instinct or an empty husk." She would be rather put off, but she was rather... grateful with his honesty, if she had to be truthful. Shanoa told Caelus of one of the villagers in the nearby area that the Elder said had not yet returned. "Thank you for your assitance." As she made to go past him, he had a few last words on the matter.

"Oh yes, that White Key is a one time use thing Shanoa, so if you draw its blade, its only good for that one use. I was allowed to make only the one. Allow me some time if you would and I shall find you something much more useful to you at this point by the time I return with the villager I am to retrieve when we part ways. Say, knowledge of the area and some armor?" Her face was blank as she coolly regarded Caelus and walked away. "Fine." As Shanoa strode into the forest, the sealing arrays on her shoulders and back pulsed as if ready for whatever laid ahead. Walking beside her, Caelus couldn't help but think to himself for a moment... 'Eh, could have done much much worse. Like a loud-mouthed idiot kid dressed in an eye-burning orange monstrosity of a jumpsuit constantly screaming about ramen and being leader of his village with a stupid catchphrase at the top of his lungs on a quest to bring back his nigh-unquestionably gay emo "friend" who tried to kill him because he's monumentally stupid.' He shrugged his shoulders with a small smile on his face.

As they made their way through the forest, Shanoa questioned him on his abilities and strengths. "Well, I'm stronger and faster than most, I am rather skilled with arms, Magics, Alchemy, am well versed in things non-human-" Suddenly, a group of skeletons and ghouls shambled out of the shadows in the forest. Shanoa leaped forward, a sword Glyph flashing out as she began to cut down the Ghouls, weaving in and of their reach as necessary. When she turned around to see her partner, she saw that the most of the skeletons were reduced to ash, and an armless skeleton that was trying to bite Caelus was being held by its skull with his free hand, as his other was grasping a longsword.

As if he noticed her watching him, he crushed it into fine dust without difficulty and preamble, the reanimated dead going slack and dissolving a moment later. Stepping towards him, Shanoa felt the sensation of searing heat as she barely registered a light darting past her. "You missed one," was his candid explanation. She stood there dumbfounded for a moment at the speed and heat of Caelus' spell and mentally remarked that if he had wanted to kill her, she would most certainly be dead long before then. Perhaps she could trust him for now.

 ***Omake***

 **Somewhere far, far, far away...**

A blonde-haired, blue-eyed, orange-wearing, knuckle-head sneezed in mid-yell of his friend's name whilst thinking about Ichiraku ramen and the Hokage position in a dark, long, spooky underground corridor filled with traps and shit. He lost his balance and fell headfirst into a pit of spikes and died, shortly thereafter being fed upon by the creatures who had made the pit their home. His corpse was never found by anyone, and due to being dead, a certain asshole emo Uchiha couldn't be a huge troll, and and an equally asshole plant-man couldn't betray said emo and achieve his goal of bringing some deity-figure back to life because of shitty and stupid arbitrary reasons pulled out of his ass.

 **Somewhere closer than far, far, far away...**

A tall, pale, thin-waisted, beautiful, silver-eyed, gold-haired woman with huge G-cup tits and an equally huge and bouncy ass wearing flowing white and gold sheer robes swore in her trippy reality of soft clouds and ever-shifting colors. "Oh Medammit, NOT AGAIN! I swear, this is one of THE most dumbest ways he's died except for that one time with that octopus, banana peel, and the barrel full of lionfish! HE'S A NINJA FOR FUCK'S SAKE! **RESET!" *clap***

And so it was, that the world of Uzumaki Naruto was reset so this Goddess' world would keep turning... For the 12,758,619'th time due to emo Uchiha related events or outright stupid reasons. Perhaps should this one fail... Again... She could _**maaaaayyyyybeeeee** _ cash in some favors to tweak events/people just a little bit...


End file.
